Willard was relieved from duty last week, following his Worcester County grand jury indictment on indecent assault and battery and open and gross lewdness charges. On Monday, he was suspended without pay after a police hearing at Framingham headquarters, Procopio said in a release. The suspension is indefinite, Procopio said.

The statewide police agency will conduct its own internal affairs investigation alongside the criminal probe by the Worcester District Attorney's office, according to Procopio.

The charges stem from a 2008 incident involving Willard and a woman who was 18 years old at the time, according to authorities. Willard was off duty at the time of the alleged incident, Procopio said.

How and when the allegations surfaced remains unclear. As recently as six months ago, Willard received a public commendation for his work as a trooper, according to a state police publication.